Conference USA Week #1 Football Preview

Tulsa @ Tulane - Friday, Sept. 4, 8 p.m. Eastern, ESPN

Tulsa might have lost prolific quarterback David Johnson, but an even bigger setback for the Golden Hurricane was the departure of offensive whiz Gus Malzahn to Auburn. Entering 2009, head coach Todd Graham will maintain a pass-first approach on offense, but September is likely to involve a lot more rust than rhythm. On the good side for Tulsa is the fact that its problems pale in comparison to the ones faced by Tulane and head coach Bob Toledo. The Green Wave slipped to 2-10 in 2008, and will need numerous step-up performances in order to produce a halfway-decent season.

Pick: Tulsa

Appalachian State @ East Carolina - Saturday, Sept. 5, Noon Eastern, no TV

The defending C-USA champions begin another season against an FCS opponent. Yes, that's the same Appalachian State program that stunned Michigan in Ann Arbor two years ago, so no letdowns can be allowed on the East Carolina sideline. Head coach Skip Holtz should prevent that from happening, as should sixth-year senior quarterback Patrick Pinkney. The Pirates not only have all hands on deck; those hands are steady. In 2009, East Carolina should once again win the East, and find itself vying for a repeat conference crown in early December.

Pick: East Carolina

Rice @ UAB - Saturday, 4 Eastern, no TV

It's unusual for college football teams to usher in a new season with a conference game. It's even more unlikely that a lid-lifter would carry such pronounced importance, but that's the situation facing these C-USA rivals. Rice enters a brave new world without its decorated pitch-and-catch combo of quarterback Chase Clement and receiver Jarett Dillard, who both graduated. The Owls, under head coach David Bailiff, need a fresh set of answers on offense, and that's why this week-one game against a conference foe is so crucial to the team's prospects. We'll find out right away if Rice is ready to cook once again in 2009. UAB finished last year 4-8, but the Blazers have quarterback Joe Webb back in the fold. Yes, Rice won six more games than UAB did last season, but in a case of role reversal, it's UAB who has the veteran skill people this season. The Blazers, under head coach Neil Callaway, need to turn their experience into an advantage in this game; if they don't, the rest of the C-USA season is likely to be a hard, long and ultimately unfulfilled slog in Birmingham.

Pick: UAB

Southern Illinois @ Marshall - Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Eastern, no TV

Marshall and head coach Mark Snyder are searching for answers after finishing 2008 with a mystifying four-game losing streak and a 4-8 record. There's an unsettled quarterback situation in Huntington, W. Va., and a sense that another unsatisfying season will lead to the ousting of the Snyder regime. Problems exist for Marshall, but Southern Illinois--from the FCS--is not the kind of team that will exploit the Thundering Herd's weaknesses.

Pick: Marshall

Northwestern State @ Houston - Saturday, 7 Eastern, no TV

Houston quarterback Case Keenum can pitch it. Teammate Tyron Carrier can catch it. Running back Bryce Beall can carry it. It's going to be a fun season of football for UH fans. In game one, a glorified scrimmage should produce more gaudy numbers, as head coach Kevin Sumlin works out the kinks in preparation for a major week-two throwdown against Oklahoma State.

Pick: Houston

Alcorn State @ Southern Miss - Saturday, 7 Eastern, no TV

If one team in the C-USA East can bump off East Carolina, it's Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles soared past Troy for a slight upset in last year's New Orleans Bowl. Armed with momentum from that conquest in the Big Easy, head coach Larry Fedora will try to overpower the Pirates with a potent offensive arsenal. The journey to heightened prominence in the league begins with a warm-up against the alma mater of the late Steve McNair.

Pick: Southern Miss

Samford @ UCF - Saturday, 7:30 Eastern, no TV

In 2007, Central Florida won Conference USA. In 2008, the Golden Knights fell off the map, plummeting to a 4-8 record that vexed everyone around the program. Head coach George O'Leary will try to restore order this season in Orlando; in order for that to happen, a listless UCF offense that averaged just 16 points per game must find a way to excel in the red zone. Playing Samford should give the Golden Knights a confidence boost; UCF needs to rediscover what it's like to tally some touchdowns.

Pick: UCF

Stephen F. Austin @ Southern Methodist - Saturday, 8 Eastern, no TV

SMU has still not recovered from the "Death Penalty" laid down in the 1980s. June Jones is the latest man to try to resurrect the Mustangs, and now that he's had a year under his belt in Dallas, the development of the program can begin in earnest. Unlike many other FBS programs who schedule an FCS team in week one, SMU can't view this contest as a gimmie. The Ponies need to rack up this win; they won't get many more chances to walk onto the gridiron as a favorite in 2009.

Pick: SMU

Buffalo @ UTEP - Saturday, 9 Eastern, no TV

Buffalo wrote the feel-good story of the 2008 college football season behind up-and-coming head coach Turner Gill. UTEP, on the other hand, hasn't had any reason to feel good after three straight disappointing seasons have taken the shine off the once-promising Mike Price era in El Paso. In one of the more intriguing matchups on the week one slate, the Miners need to find the moxie to beat back the Bulls from upstate New York. UTEP won't have a problem scoring points in this game behind stud quarterback Trevor Vittatoe; the key for the home folks will be to find a light in the Sun Bowl on defense. Since this is a season opener, Buffalo's own offense might not be polished enough to keep up with Vittatoe in a track meet. Price and the rest of the Miners' coaching staff can only hope such a scenario unfolds.

Pick: UTEP

Ole Miss @ Memphis - Sunday, Sept. 6, 3:30 p.m. Eastern, ESPN

No team from Conference USA occupies a brighter spotlight in week one than does Memphis. Coach Tommy West's Tigers will take on an Ole Miss outfit that's being touted as the fresh new face of the college football hierarchy. The Southeastern Conference began its split-division format in the 1992 season. Seventeen years later, Ole Miss is the one SEC West school that has never won its division and reached the SEC title game. Memphis will need an inspired effort to turn back Houston Nutt's heavily-hyped ballclub. The Tigers will likely need to outscore the Rebels in a shootout. The key, then, will be the ability of Memphis's offensive line to fend off Ole Miss's defensive front, led by ends Greg Hardy and Kentrell Lockett. The odds suggest that won't happen.

Pick: Ole Miss